Posts Tagged research
Special Education Advocates Role in Advocating For Children With Disabilities
Are you the parent of a child with autism or other disability? Would you like to know what an advocate does in the special education process? Do you wonder if a special education advocate could help you in fighting for needed services, for your child? This article will explain what the role of a special education advocate is, and whether they could help you advocate for a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for your child.
There is currently no certification for special education advocates! This is the reason why it is sometimes difficult to find one that is knowledgeable, and has expertise in special education.
The role of a special education advocate is to:
- Have a working knowledge of state and federal laws that cover special education, and know how to use them to advocate for children. Federal law is Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Each state is required to have a law that must comply with IDEA.
- Understand different types of disabilities and have experience advocating for children of different disabilities
- Take time to know the child, and work with the parent to determine what services and placement a child needs, and advocate for them! This may require the parent getting an independent educational evaluation with a qualified evaluator.
- Educate parents as to research based practices, as well as best practices. IDEA requires, that curriculum and programs be scientifically research based, which parents need to understand.
- Have knowledge of different school districts and also how to advocate with different personalities of special education personnel. People are all different and the advocate must understand the best way to deal with the different personalities.
- Act in a professional manner, whenever possible, to help parents get needed special education services and placements for their child. A good advocate is firm and refuses to back down when intimidated by special education personnel.
- Teach parents advocacy skills so that they may learn how to advocate for their child!
A special education advocate can be extremely helpful in advocating for your child. If you think an advocate could help you check out your local disability organizations, and see if they have an advocate on staff. Check organizations such as a Center of Independent Living, Parent Training and Advocacy Centers (available in all states). If you hire a private advocate make sure you check their credentials, and make sure that they have experience with children with your child’s type of disability. This will ensure that the advocate understands what your child needs, and will be able to advocate for them.
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Pursuing A Masters In Psychology
The importance of psychology in life cannot be taken for granted. Psychology is the science that deals with human behavior as well as that of the non human. Though the course is only 125 years old, it is needed in almost in all spheres of life. Its study has its roots in biology to sociology, trying to seek a relationship between the brain functions and the behavior or the relationship between the environment and the behavior. Since the subject is so vast, there is therefore a need for specialization. As mentioned earlier, psychology touches many aspects of life and so there are various fields of study. These fields are studied in detail at the masters level.
Since 1960, there has been an increase in the students who pursue a masters in psychology. There is competition for jobs which are psychology related and so more and more students are joining the courses. In fact, it has been observed that more than two thirds of the students graduating with a masters in psychology get jobs on field, which are outside psychology and only about one third are employed in jobs which are directly related to psychology. A large number of those employed after graduating with a masters in psychology work on data collection and analysis in various firms and institutions, both in the government circles and the private sector.
There are various subfields of psychology where one can specialize. For example, one can study masters to be a Clinical Psychologist. Here one can deal with emotional and behavioral disorders. There is also Cognitive and perceptual psychologists who study human perception, thinking, and memory and often work closely with behavioral neuroscientists to explain clearly the bases of perception or cognition from the biological perspective. One can also study to be Developmental psychologists to be able to solve issues dealing with the psychological development in people throughout their lives. Educational psychology is another field which is quite popular today. Here you learn how to enhance teaching and learning.
Other areas one can do a master include Engineering psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, Experimental psychology, Forensic psychology, which tries to solve legal issues by applying psychological principles and Health psychology which is a study of how biological, psychological, and social factors affect health and illness. There is also industrial & organizational psychology where one can learn how to improve productivity in areas of work by employing psychological principles and research methods. There are many other areas too.
There are many universities in the USA which offer masters in psychology and one can opt for the course within the preferred specialization. The course normally takes two years. One should be a graduate holding a bachelors degree with a related subject. Some universities may enroll any student from any faculty but it’s always advisable to take a masters in psychology if you have a related bachelor’s degree.
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Home Schooling – Think Out Of The Box
Thinking is becoming a lost art, along with reading and writing. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that a shockingly high percentage of students graduate from school illiterate, unable to read their diploma. Only 31 percent of college graduates can read a complex book and extrapolate from it. That’s not saying much for the remainder, and it gets worse not better.
Although the awareness of the problem is evident, there has been no improvement in literacy, on the contrary it continues to decline.
My theory is that the literacy rate is responsible for the lack of innovative thinking, or any independent thinking. Dumbing us down, as according to John Taylor Gatto, and his classic book for homeschoolers of the same name.
Easier said then done , but one of my key goals with my children is for them to think outside the box. Not to take everything that is presented at face value, and to question the validity, and motivation behind any action. What are the moral implications, immediately and long term, and are they purely monetarily driven?
These are questions that we should constantly be asking ourselves in this world that seems to be corrupt at every level.
The examples we set for our children is critical, because this we can control, and of course the mentoring that we provide is the source of greatest influence over our children. I personally place an enormous amount of importance on loyalty, honesty and trust.
No one is pure as the driven snow, and although we can have good intentions, sometimes the best laid plans with the best intentions get driven off course by peer pressure or unmet expectations, or disappointment or greed. Choose an excuse, because that is what I believe it is an excuse. A justification for immoral or inappropriate behavior. An excuse to break the commitment or promise, whether it is written or spoken.
Innovative thinkers will search for solutions, not excuses.
The media is not a reliable source of unbiased information, people need to delve into issues and research and question the sources.
These outside influences can be dissected and analyzed, seen as a project to learn and grow from.
There are many varieties of sources that can be helpful when trying to see and understand an issue from a different perspective. Documentaries are interesting and entertaining source, as well as the local library.
Whether on a personal, business or global level, thinking outside of the box is a necessary component to growth, change and development.
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Distance Learning Doctorate Psychology
Long distance learning doctorate psychology courses provide the students with opportunities for clinical experience and a heightened level of awareness of integrating conceptual and theoretical scholarship with applied psychology. While clinical psychology PhD courses are specializations that enable psychologists to practice in health care settings and community mental health centers, counseling psychology prepares psychologists to deal with functional relationships, healthy lifestyles and work on their clients’ strengths. The General Education Psychology PhD degree courses have tracks in Educational Psychology and research evaluation. The long distance learning doctorate psychology courses in Health Psychology is a specialization for practice in medical centers, research settings, business and industry, government and military as well as in sports and fitness centers.
The Curriculum
Long distance learning doctorate psychology courses explore every modality that guides assessment and intervention practices. Some universities provide hands on experience with practical training and internships on campus. Hence program availability depends on location. Other universities examine the total matrix of factors that influence psychological and physical health and offers PhDs that emphasize research, preparation of scholarship and systematic enquiry culminating in a dissertation. The application of theory for problem solving and conflict resolution expands the definition of health across individuals and cultures. The flexible programs are well suited to persons engaged in careers in health, teaching, clinical work, community development, consultation, mediation and so on.
The Universities
The North Central University Online has a long distance learning doctorate psychology program in Health Psychology/Behavioral Medicine. It uses a biopsychosocial approach to psychology. The Industrial/Organizational doctorate degree prepares learners to work in a variety of settings in different kinds of organizations. The skills imparted include the conduct of basic and applied research, problem solving for organizational and human health. The Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center has a program that is designed for practitioners who operate in non-traditional environments and their practice embraces expanded definitions of health.
Walden University has several PhD programs that address social issues that impact on societies and communities and equips the practitioner with the necessary skills for operating in their area of specialization. The Fielding Graduate University offers a PhD degree in Clinical Psychology with elective concentrations in Neuropsychology, Health Psychology and the Psychology of Violence. Apart from the above there are a number of “contract learning” courses conducted by the Long Island University Southampton, where seminars are conducted on campus for part of the course and the rest of the course is off campus. Argosy University conducts a number of courses in Clinical Psychology, Forensic Psychology, School psychology, Sport Exercise Psychology and General Psychology.
It other words, the choice of course depends on the student’s need for the tools and practices of psychology as they relate to their business, education and professional practice.
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